Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) could be mild, causing temporary symptoms that clear up within a few weeks, or they could cause catastrophic impairment. Even a mild TBI is a serious injury because of its cumulative effects.
Most traumatic brain injuries result from accidents. When someone else’s careless or negligent behavior causes a TBI, they are responsible for reimbursing injury-related expenses and compensating the injured person’s pain and suffering.
At the Phillips Law Group, our firm has been locally owned and operated for over 30 years. Our trusted catastrophic injury attorneys are always ready to take action. When negotiations do not achieve an acceptable result, we will not hesitate to take your claim to court. Call now to find out how a Tempe traumatic brain injury lawyer could help you obtain appropriate compensation.
Understanding TBIs and Their Consequences
Traumatic brain injuries usually happen in one of two ways: a blow to the head or a foreign object penetrating the skull. In either case, brain tissue could stretch, tear, or swell, limiting blood flow and damaging the cells.
Depending on the severity of the injury and the age of the injured person, a TBI could cause permanent impairment. When the injury is relatively mild and the injured person is young, other brain cells learn to take over the function of the dead and damaged ones. In older people and those who have had previous traumatic brain injuries, it could be impossible to regain lost function. A negligent person or business whose conduct contributed to the injury is liable for the consequences, regardless of the degree of function loss. A Tempe traumatic brain injury attorney could help hold them accountable.
Concussion
According to the Centers for Disease Control, what most people call a concussion is actually a mild traumatic brain injury. Common symptoms of a concussion include nausea, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, and sensitivity to noise or light.
Rest is the usual treatment for a concussion, and symptoms often resolve within a few weeks. Recovery is often slower with subsequent mild TBIs and some symptoms might persist. A person who sustains a mild TBI requires medical supervision, is likely to miss time at work or school, and usually must curtail their normal activities until they have recovered.
Moderate TBI
A moderate TBI does not fully heal and leaves the person with permanent impairment. The impairment could be relatively easy to accommodate, or it could be life-altering, depending on which area of the brain was damaged. Issues with motor coordination and mobility are common among people with moderate TBIs, as are memory loss, impaired speech, vision problems, and mood disorders.
Intensive therapy could help people with moderate TBIs recover some functioning in some cases, but most will experience permanent changes to some degree. Depending on the circumstances, their impairment might limit their ability to learn, work, and maintain a household without help.
Severe TBI
A severe TBI is often fatal. It could cause a persistent vegetative state. Even when survivors regain consciousness, they are usually unable to perform activities of daily living and might require full-time in-home care or admission to a skilled nursing facility.
Securing Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury
TBIs occur through car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, slips and falls, violence, sports injuries, workplace incidents, pedestrian collisions, and many other preventable incidents. Obtaining fair compensation requires proving another party was negligent, meaning they failed to use the degree of caution or care the circumstances merited.
A Tempe attorney could review the circumstances that led to the TBI and assert a claim against the negligent parties. In many cases, the conduct of multiple people contributes to one incident, and each person could be liable for a portion of the injured person’s damages.
If an injured person bears partial responsibility for their accident, insurance companies typically allocate blame on a percentage basis during settlement negotiations, and a jury decides how much responsibility to attribute to each person when a claim goes to trial. According to Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2505, a person who is found partially responsible for their own injuries can still collect compensation from the other liable parties, but their award will be lessened by the percentage of responsibility they hold.
Pursue Compensation for a TBI With a Tempe Attorney
A TBI will impact your life regardless of its severity. Bringing a personal injury lawsuit ensures the person or business whose conduct led to the TBI takes responsibility for it. A Tempe traumatic brain injury lawyer from our firm could offer sound advice and support throughout the process.
While satisfactory settlements could be reached in many cases, the team at the Phillips Law Group is never afraid to litigate in a courtroom. We fiercely pursue the best possible outcomes for every one of our clients. To experience the difference firsthand, contact us today.
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